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Browsing by tag: chocolate

Annick Goutal Eau de Camille & Eau de Charlotte ~ fragrance reviews

Posted by Robin on 8 March 2007 35 Comments

Annick Goutal Eau de Charlotte perfume

The Annick Goutal line occupies a rather in-between place among perfume fans — the company probably qualifies as niche based on their size and their limited distribution; still, they are available in a number of mainstream stores (three department stores in my local mall carry them), and the line doesn’t feel niche. The feminine perfumes are emphatically pretty, romantic even; they don’t, like so many niche perfumes, challenge traditional notions of what a woman ought to smell like.

Eau de Camille and Eau de Charlotte are both very much in that mold. They were created by Annick Goutal for her daughters…

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L’Artisan Poivre Piquant & Piment Brulant ~ fragrance review

Posted by Robin on 19 December 2006 24 Comments

L'Artisan Les Epices de la Passion fragrances

L’Artisan introduced Les Epices de la Passion, a coffret with three spiced “love potions”, in 2002. I’ve been having an on-again, off-again love affair with Safran Troublant since I first smelled it (more about that tomorrow), but the other two fragrances, Piment Brûlant and Poivre Piquant, I pretty much ignored after trying them briefly on test strips some time ago. Both scents were created by perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour, and since he is seriously in the running for my own little parallel-universe award for Perfumer of the Year (and I’m sure he is quite excited about it too), I thought it would be worth giving them more serious attention.

Piment Brûlant was inspired by the Aztec drink xocolatl, a bitter mixture of chocolate and cornmeal spiked with chili peppers, cinnamon, achiote and other spices; the Aztec emperor Montezuma reputedly drank up to 50 cups every day from a golden goblet…

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Aquolina Chocolovers perfume review

Posted by Robin on 28 January 2006 25 Comments

Aquolina Chocolovers Perfume BottleChocolovers is the second fragrance release from Aquolina, makers of the wildly popular Pink Sugar. As you can already guess from the name, they are not straying too far from their gourmand fan base. Chocolovers features notes of bergamot, orange, lemon, lily of the valley, coriander, hazelnut, vanilla, malt and musk.

A blast of sweet citrus in the opening settles fairly quickly, leaving behind only a hint of orange. The early dry down smells otherwise remarkably like the makings of a nutty chocolate malt just before you add the milk. It is very sweet, but be warned if you happen to be looking for a deep, rich chocolate perfume: the hazelnut and vanilla are as pronounced as the chocolate, and as with a real chocolate malt, the smell is closer to chocolate syrup than a dark chocolate truffle…

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Fragrance of the day: Piment et Chocolat by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz

Posted by Robin on 5 December 2005 41 Comments

Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Piment et Chocolat perfumeDawn Spencer Hurwitz Piment et Chocolat perfume

Dawn Spencer Hurwitz introduced Piment et Chocolat in 2003. The fragrance features notes of black pepper, paprika, pimento, red chili, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, cocoa beans and chocolate. It starts with sweet chocolate and very strong, almost sneeze-worthy pepper notes. As it dries down, the sweetness largely disappears, and the initial kick from the pepper is tempered by the other spices; just enough red chili remains to add some heat. The end result is a warm, almost dusty combination of spices and dry cocoa.

It strikes a nice balance — it is foody, but not candied, and softer than the notes might indicate. It is a cozy kind of fragrance, perfect for a cold winter night spent by the fire. But it is in the Parfums des Beaux Arts line, and it isn’t cheap: 1/3 oz of Eau de Parfum is $60, 1 oz is $135. I like it, but after three tries, I don’t adore it enough to pay the price…

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S-Perfume 100% Love fragrance review

Posted by Robin on 11 March 2005 18 Comments

S-Perfume 100% Love

S-Perfume is a small, independent perfume company in New York City that currently sells 4 fragrances, all developed in collaboration with well-known noses. 100% Love was created by perfumer Sophia Grojsman, best known for Yves Saint Laurent Paris and Lancôme Trésor. S-Perfume describes 100% Love as the “pulpy erotic part of a secret red fruit, the soft and wet velvety skin of rose petals in water, and a mystical “concoction” of incense and black chocolate.”

100% Love starts out mostly chocolate and incense…

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